It is best known, however, for the huge number of brown, hard, spiny seedpods it drops in the fall and winter. Liquidambar styraciflua, more commonly called sweetgum, is a beautiful ornamental shade tree, turning traffic-stopping shades of bright red and orange in autumn. The vicious seed pods have impaled many a forager and has done much to ruin the Sweet Gum’s reputation. The most interesting compound that comes from this tree is shikimic acid which is a main ingredient in the commercial manufacture of the drug, Tamiflu®. Black tupelo, also called gum tree, is one of the most beautiful native trees of North America. Yes, it is nice here right now, especially on a sunny day. Uses for a Sweet Gum Tree. Interesting Facts Liquidambar styraciflua is commonly referred to as sweetgum because of the brownish yellow sap it produces when the bark is cut. Perhaps it is time for some rehabilitation. The American Sweet Gum Tree looks beautiful with colorful leaves in autumn. You painfully find them with your feet. The only edible part of the tree is the dried sap which makes a fragrant, bitter chewing gum. Sweet gums are large trees that bear alternate, sharply (three- to seven-lobed) palmate leaves.The plants produce upright spikes of greenish male flowers and round drooping clusters of female flowers on the same tree.The fruits are spiny dark brown balls known as an aggregate of capsules.Each capsule contains several small seeds, and the fruits often persist through the winter. Because a sweet gum tree may grow 80 feet tall and hose-end sprayers typically have a maximum good-pressure range of up to 30 feet, spraying a mature sweet gum adequately is difficult for a homeowner. Fantastic Facts About Black Tupelo Trees. The name Liquidambar is from the Latin liquidus, meaning fluid or liquid and the Arabic ambar, referring to amber, both being references to the sap. Stems often have corky and attractive wings during the second year. Linda Crampton (author) from British Columbia, Canada on October 24, 2019: Hi, Adrienne. The Sweet Gum Tree Harvesting seeds that hurt Street Trees. ; Sweetgum Plant Guide – An excellent guide for sweetgum trees on the USDA website. The sweet gum tree has very distinctive star shaped leaves The name alligator bark comes from the appearance of the rough, ridged gray bark which grows sideways on the twigs and branches. Great photos. Popular Gardening Topics Additional Resources on the Sweetgum Tree. Description of sweet gum tree: The sweet gum has a pyramidal habit when young, eventually becoming rounded and tall -- up to more than 100 feet. ; American Sweetgum – A wonderful article about the sweetgum tree on the Yale Nature Walk website. There is an entire forest, over 80,000 years old, in Utah, made up of one single tree with one massive underground root system, called a Quaking Aspen. About the Sweetgum Tree – Discover more information and facts about the sweetgum tree on the NC State website. Check out some interesting facts about this tree that's known for its colorful foliage. So, there's much to be said for research into modern medicinal uses of this tree. 16-20 Interesting Facts About Trees 16. The bark is grayish brown and deeply furrowed. The Sweet Gum tree is the sand spur of the forest. Learned a lot about the tree from your detailed article with interesting facts. The sweet gum grows in a long list of states, thinning to a more patchy distribution as it spreads southward into Mexico and Central America. Sweet gum trees (Liquidambar styraciflua) are a common sight in the eastern United States and in several Central American and southern Mexican regions. Beautiful with colorful leaves in autumn Crampton ( author ) from British Columbia, on. Tree – Discover more information and facts about this tree stems often have corky and attractive wings the! 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